The case was one of Texas' most sensational unsolved crimes until Springsteen confessed. His statement was the key piece of evidence as the store fire destroyed the crime scene. The blaze left no physical evidence linking Springsteen to the murders.

The jury had several criteria to consider, including whether Springsteen would be a future danger to society and whether there were circumstances that would warrant sparing his life.

To sway the jury, prosecutors put Ayers' father, Bob Ayers, on the stand. Several jurors cried as he told them how the murders changed his family.

Prosecutors also put on the stand two West Virginia police officers who said they had run-ins with Springsteen, one for drunken driving charge and another disorderly conduct charge, while he was living there.

Defense lawyers put on no witnesses during sentencing but pleaded for his life in closing statements. Springsteen did not have a violent criminal history in the 10 years since the murders.

The crime stunned the city in 1991 and had stumped detectives for eight years. The case overwhelmed the Austin Police Department's six-person homicide unit as investigators chased thousands of leads, some as far as Mexico.

It wasn't until detectives retraced a December 1991 interview with Pierce did they turn again to Springsteen, who was now living in West Virginia.

In his four-hour videotaped interview, Springsteen at first denied any involvement in the murders only to later admit raping and killing Ayers.

Police also obtained a confession from Scott, which corroborated some of the details Springsteen provided.

Springsteen maintained throughout his trial that he was innocent and that his confession was coerced under police pressure.